Why did only a small part of the French population have the right to vote under Louis-Philippe?

Under the July Monarchy, the right to vote was restricted to a small portion of the French population primarily due to a property qualification requirement.1

To participate in the electoral process, citizens were required to pay a specific amount in direct taxes. While the regime lowered the voting age to 25 and reduced the property qualification from 300 to 200 francs, this still limited the suffrage to approximately 200,000 people out of the entire population.1

This system was designed to ensure that political power remained in the hands of the wealthy bourgeoisie, who were viewed by the government as an ideal "natural elite". Figures like François Guizot, a key minister during this era, defended this exclusion by arguing that any citizen could theoretically gain access to the governing class through personal talent and effort, famously telling those who complained about the restrictions to "Enrichissez-vous!" ("Get rich!"). Consequently, the assembly represented only the middle classes, which Louis-Philippe relied upon to maintain his political position.12